Due to a huge backlog of iPhone 3G cases that have swamped our offices in the last couple of weeks, we're reviewing a whole bunch today in abbreviated fashion, starting with eight rubber designs from seven different companies. Our top pick of the bunch is SwitchEasy's Colors for iPhone 3G ($15).

Why can’t more companies sweat the details at reasonable prices like SwitchEasy? Given all of the dreck we sort through every week, there are days when we literally thank god for this company; we had one of these days when we received Colors last week for review. As with the earlier Capsule Rebel, this Hong Kong-based company has again demonstrated why a little extra attention to detail and a sense of good design can transform something simple into a fun and novel product: sure, you get a silicone rubber case that is packed with two screen protectors, Dock Connector and headphone port covers, cleaning cloth and film application squeegee, but the parts look good. Collectively, these parts provide the most protection we’ve seen on an iPhone 3G case—comparable to iSkin’s expensive Revo2, albeit here with more easily lost detachable rubber pieces.

More significant is SwitchEasy’s array of 10 color options. Though we’re not always fond of the second colors the company has picked for its “Jellybean” style integrated Home button covers, we did prefer both the case design and array of colors to Incipio’s similarly colorful dermaSHOT series, reviewed earlier this month. There’s a lot to be said for the fact that the company has tried to protect so much of the iPhone 3G with this case, and yet it hasn’t just cloned every other rubber case we’ve seen over the past six years.

There are no real surprises here; with the plugs in, the only exposed parts are the camera, ringer switch, speakers and microphone; the case’s smooth rubber texture is naturally a little more grippy than the bare iPhone, but not a lot. Consequently, you’re getting a case that’s roughly as simple as Marware’s Sport Grip, which last year impressed us with a very low price tag before becoming unnecessarily more expensive for the iPhone 3G.

Whatever temptation there may have been to penalize Colors for not being more advanced is eliminated in our view by SwitchEasy’s price. For $15, this case offers clean design, superb protection, and a strong array of color options—at a point in time when similarly simple cases are being sold at ridiculously high prices, these are all reasons that this case merits our flat A rating and high recommendation. Unless you’re looking for a video stand, belt clip, or other frills, this should be your go-to iPhone 3G case if you’re budget-conscious and like silicone rubber.

Editors' Note: iLounge only reviews products in "final" form, but many companies now change their offerings - sometimes several times - after our reviews have been published.
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